Here’s the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators, where we ask you to describe your day in your own words.
Danielle Travis is a one-person marketing department for Bayaud Enterprises, an organization providing services for individuals facing major barriers to competitive employment. She’s got a passion for reaching out to the community to truly make a difference in the lives of those most vulnerable.
Here is her typical day:
Before 8:00 am: As soon as I’ve woken up and finished getting ready for the day, I grab my first cup of coffee and check out Facebook and Twitter. What’s happening in the world today? From there, I head out the door, stop at the bagel shop for breakfast (and probably another cup of coffee), and make my way to the office.
8:00 am – 10:00 am: I get to work about 8:30, and the beginning of my day is dedicated to email and social media (though if I’m honest, both of those things are open on my desktop all day long). I take a moment to respond to an email from a board member about the upcoming grassroots “Bayaud 101” we’re hosting tomorrow with a few new potential donors/volunteers/employers. It also looks like I need to follow up with the printer about our annual report and the customer coupon for our social enterprise. They’re both going out later this month and that stock needs to be ordered.
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: At 10, I head to the conference room for a site visit with a local foundation rep and our executive director. We spend about an hour and a half answering questions, showing off our awesome organizational promo video, and discussing our most recent grant application. (This reminds me to add “promo video edits” to my to-do list.) Our supplemental services are a major topic of conversation, and the representative recommends another foundation she thinks would be a great fit for our organization.
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Time to scarf down a quick sandwich at my desk while I post on our FB and Twitter about a lovely girl with a disability who is making her dreams come true. As soon as I’m done eating, it’s time to focus on the graphic design of our annual report, a 12-page document that details our programs, accomplishments, financials, and donors for the last fiscal year. This report will be sent out with our annual appeal at the end of the month and needs to head to the printer ASAP. While working on the report, I occasionally take notes on the annual appeal and some new online strategy for donations (an area where we definitely struggle).
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Annual report is shelved for today, and I turn my focus to a grant and grant report due to a funder by the end of next week. If I can finish it up by the end of this week, I have time to review it with program staff and finalize their report. Their program outcomes are fantastic, and I’m excited to share that with our donor. While working on this request, I take a couple minutes here and there to check in on emails and (once again) take a look at the land of social media.
After 4:00 pm: As much as I’d love to start wrapping it up, now is my time to focus on the sponsorship requests for our Tribute Luncheon fundraiser in the spring. Sponsor packets are going out next week, so it’s time to finalize our prospect list and do a bit more research on potential partners. Several board members have shared new contacts with me, so I check out their company websites and determine how they’re a fit with our mission. It’s also time to think about next month’s Bayaud 101, so I need to identify strategically targeted individuals to invite.
At about 6, I take one last look at Facebook, grab my iPad, pack up my funding research to take home with me, and I head out. I’ll take one last look at my email and social media while I’m sitting in front of the TV with my dog on my lap. She makes working from home a lot more fun.
Want to be featured in this series? Tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro.
